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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. land — to come down
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitch — completely
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. deal — to handle
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mark — a trace
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. land — ground
  22. file — a document
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com